Rotary engine.



No. 823,607. PATENTED JUNE 19, 1906.

G. S. MACDONALD. ROTARY ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED D130. 11, 1905.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1 'hwoom I 3% PATENTED JUNE 19 G- S. M DONALD. ROTARY ENGINE. APPLIUATION FILED D30. 11, 1905.

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UNITED STATES PATENT orrion GEORGE sfmenon itn,

0r- HELENA, MONTANA? I ROTARY ENGINE-g,

Specification'of Letters Patent.

tented June 119, 190a;v

Application filed December 11, 1905. Serial No. 29113071 new and useful Improvements in Rotary En gines, of which the following is a specification. 1

The object-ofmy invention is to provide an improved rotary engine which will utilize the expansive force of the steam to the best possible advantageto secure a high degree of efficiency, which will embody a construction providing for an efllcient sy'stem of packing, while at the sametime friction is eliminated as-much as possible, and which will embody the working parts in a very compact-form commensurate with the dynamic force of which the engine iscapable.

Fora full description of the invention and the merits thereof andalso-to acquire a knowledge'of the details of construction ofthe means for effecting the result reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, inwhich Figure l is a perspective view of my rotary engine. Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section thereof. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section. Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of one of the pistons. Fig. 5 is a transverse section on the median line of the engine, illustrating the gearing between the two pistons. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the clutch-head and the shaft that carries the same.

Corresponding and like partsare referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the same reference characters. 1

The cylinder 1 of "my improved rotary engine comprises the circular-body'2fprovided at one side with a steam-chest 3, which preferably extendsfrom side to side thereof, and at its other end with exhaust-ports 4 and two circular heads 5, which are bolted to the body of the cylinder or secured thereto in any suitable manner.

The cylinder has journaled therein on suitable ball-bearings to reduce friction the driving-shaft 6 of the engine, whichis mounted concentrically and is provided at the center of the cylinder with a clutch 7, rigidly secured thereto and provided with two oppositely-inclined clutch-faces 8. The cylinder is practically divided into two compartments by a circular partition or ring 9, secured thereto at its middle, each one of said compartments thereby-constituted being designed for the accommodation of correspondinglyformed pistons 10'. Each piston 10-is mount- 'ed'to turn on the driving-shaft sand is provided on its innermostface with-a female clutch member- 11, encircling the adjacent; clutch-face 8-of the clutch member 7,-and the: 'shaft' may be provided with any suitable form of-shiftingdever or similar mechanism 6 5 whereby it-may be moved longitudinally to effect the frictional engagement between ,either-"clutch-face .8 andthe corresponding female clutch 11: Each piston 10 is pro% ,vided 'with faces 12, diametricallyopposite 7o 7 to each other, against which the steam is intended to act expansi'vely,-and in advance of each of such faces 12 each piston is provided with suitable packing, thepacking in the pres.- ent instance comprising rods 13, designed to 17 5 operate against the inner wall of the cylinder, and carriedin suitable recesses andinterposed' between'the rear wall of such recesses and said-rods or rollers 13 :are boxes 14, preferably of Babbitt metal in theforin-of trans- 8o verselyextending plates hollowed out on their outer surface tocorrespond to the said rods 01' rollers, ,and' behind the boxes are, mounted suitable springs 15; that are designed to press the boxes and the rods or'roll- 8 5 ers outwardly, so that the latter may-bemaintained in proper relationto the surface of the cylinder. This construction-,- while it; pro-v duces a sufliciently-tight:joint; at the same time provides a packing which will not proo duce friction as the piston-rotates, but-will minimize the friction as much as possible commensurate with the steam-tight joint.

The steam-chest- 3. is divided transverselyinto two compartments, (designated 16,) andsteamis admitted to bothof said com- Q partments through an inlet-passage 17, controlled by a throttle 18. In each compartment of the steam-chest there is mounted a cut-off in the form of a plate 19, pivotally 10o mounted between its ends and extending through the port 20, which admits steam from the steam-chest compartments into the respective live-steam compartments of the cylinder. At one end each of the cut-ofi's 19 has secured to it a contractilespring 21, attached to the wall of the steam-chest, and the function of the springs 21 is to hold the cut-ofis vertically, with their lower ends projecting into the cylinder. serve the double function of shutting off the supply of steam to the cylinder and as serv The cut-ofis 19 I10 7 ing as an abutment for the'live steam to act against when driving the piston.

The pistons are intended to move in opposite direction, and to insure that they shall rotate at precisely the same speed and for the purpose of giving efiect to the power of both pistons against the shaft at the same time I have provided toothed pinions 22, which are mounted on the partition-ring 9, as shown, and geared with their opposing faces to the pistons.

In the practical operation of my improved rotary-engine it is manifest that as the steam is admitted through the port it will act eX- pansively against the adjacent face 12 of the piston, and as the opposite face 12 approaches the cut-off and abutments 19 the tangential surface '23, Which is located in advance of both of the faces 12, will gradually, by contact with the lower edge of the plate 19, tilt said plate against the action of its spring 21 and will finally close the port 20 and cut off the supply of steam until the said approaching faces 12 shall have passed the inletport 20, when the spring21 will immediately again snap the plate 19 into open position to admit a fresh supply of steam. As the two pistons are geared together to move in opposite directions, they are both at all times exerting their power upon the shaft 6 if either clutch-face 8 is in frictional engagement with a corresponding female clutch 11, and it is evident that the engineshaft 6 may be reversed readily by moving it longitudinally to engage either one or the other of the clutchsurfaces or may be stopped entirely by moving the shaft to a middle position, with both of the clutch-faces 8 out of contact with their corresponding clutch members 11.

Having thus described the invention, what is, claimed as new is' 1. In a rotary engine, the combination of oppositely-moving pistons provided with clutch members, a shaft, and a clutch-head mounted on said shaft between said pistons and arranged for engagement with either of the same, as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a rotary engine, the combination with the cylinder and the two pistons working therein side by side and provided on their opposing faces with gearing-teeth, a partition-ring between said pistons and provided with pinions meshing with the teeth thereof, each of said pistons being provided on its inner face with a female clutch member and a shaft mounted in said cylinder and provided with a clutch-head designed to be moved into engagement with either clutch 'member of the pistons as and for the purpose set forth.

3. A rotary engine comprising a cylinder, two pistons located in said cylinder side by side and provided on their opposing faces with gear-teeth, and also provided on said faces with female clutch members, pinions interposed between the two faces of the pistons and meshing with the teeth thereof, whereby the pistons will turn in opposite directions, means for admitting steam to said pistons and for exhausting it from the cylinders, a shaft mounted in the cylinder, and a clutch-head on said shaft between the two pistons and arranged for engagement with the clutch member of each piston, as and for the purpose set forth.

4. A rotary engine, comprising a cylinder provided with a steam-chest divided into two compartments and said cylinder also provided with a partition dividing it into two compartments, pistons mounted to turn in said cylinder on opposite sides of said ring and provided on their opposing faces with female clutch members, pinions mounted in said artition-ring and engaging said opposing aces of the two pistons, and a shaft mounted with a clutch-head designed to be moved into engagement with the clutch member of the pistons, and means for admitting steam alternately into the compartment of the cylinder whereby to act successively on the two pistons, as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I afliX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE s. MACDONALD. [1 s] Witnesses:

WILLIAM G. BAILEY, ALLEN G. Con. 

